It’s something that most of us take for granted. ‘Aving a wash, getting a scrub, jumping in the bath! Some of us do it every other day, most of us scrub up daily, and the super-fastidious among us do it even more often! Some forget to scrub behind their ears and others don’t dry between their toes or in their belly-buttons properly!

What you think you don’t know about getting clean can be written on the back of a stamp, right? Wrong.

Here’s ten things that I bet you didn’t know about bathing, washing, and general cleanliness!

1. Back in 2009 the world’s oldest woman passed away after slipping in her bath. She was 130 and had just had the new bathroom installed to celebrate her old age! Where’s Alanis Morisette when you need her?

2. The romans didn’t use soap, instead they rubbed olive oil onto their skin before scraping it off (along with any dirt) using a special scraper. Sort of like a slave-operated windscreen wiper.

3. Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand is the largest hot spring in the world, covering an area of 38000 square metres with an average depth of 6 metres. The hottest areas of the lake reach boiling point!

4. Think baths are less water-efficient than showers? Not nowadays! An average bath uses 80 litres of water whilst an eight-minute power shower uses around 136 litres. If you’re really serious about saving water, you could always share!

5. In medieval Europe, the Church thought of bathing as an “excessive” indulgence and believed that such acts led to immorality, disease, and promiscuity! In fact, so widespread were the fears of bathing contributing to ill-health that the daily bath (or shower) has only become a common occurrence during the past half century. I’ll bet Sunday mass used to stink!

6. The average temperature of bath water in the UK is between 38c to 40c – that’s just a couple of degrees above the average body temperature.

7. Every citizen of Kentucky, U.S.A is required by law to take a bath at least once a year. Personally, I think we should introduce this globally. Especially in London, in the Summer. All tube stations should install stink-o-sensors as standard.

8. A lady called Charlotte Lee holds the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Rubber Duck collection at 1439 different ducks!

9. The Japanese take the business of cleanliness and bathing very seriously. They even have an amusement park dedicated to the ritual with over 25 water attractions! Visitors can choose between bathing in coffee, red wine, green tea, or even Sake! I wonder what the penalties are for drinking the water?

10. In the UK, it is the law upon entering a bath to immediately submerge your head and enter the land of Mermaidia. Particularly if you have long hair, in fact… if your hair is short, you should grow it immediately to let this occur.

Ok, I made that last one up… but damn… you used to do this as a kid ALL the time right?

Anyway, in celebration of my ten frankly mind-blowing facts about bathing, I wanted to introduce some of my favourite bathroom companions…

From left to right:

Zirh Warrior Collection (£14.99). When I discovered these were being discontinued, I snapped up a few bottles to keep me going. Although aimed at men, I love the concentrated scent and divine lather. There’s something rather brilliant about having a “collection” of commonly-used toiletries like this and Zirh capitalised on using great ancient leaders to appeal to our sense of smell and personality traits. Obviously, I’m Caesar. OBVIOUSLY.

Abahna White Grapefruit & May Chang (£17)*. Abahna are all about the ritual of bathing, about turning an ordinary experience into an extra-ordinary occasion. They’re definitely heading in the right direction with this beautifully citrusy number that perfectly marries the uplifting aromas of grapefruit with the energising zest of may chang.

Bodhi Rosemary Chi (£23)*. When your spirits are in need of a little reviving, Bodhi’s synergy of Rosemary, Geranium, Petitgrain and Cedarwood oils is just the ticket. This bath and shower therapy is generously fragranced ensuring that both your mind and your senses are stimulated by the rich perfume. For an added boost, combine your bathing ritual with their new Rosemary Chi Himalayan Detox Salt Scrub by using your hot bath waters to dissolve the salt scrub after application. Genius.

Kings & Queens Aztec King Vanilla & Pear (£3.33). No Tesco shop is complete without adding to my Kings & Queens stockpile, I’m currently due another haul as I’m on my last bottle. The sister brand of Korres have been inspired by ancient rulers from around the world to create a line of body products that delight both visually and during use. My personal favourite is a toss-up between Tsar Peter Tobacco and Caspar Myrrh.

Eternally revered as one of the world’s most precious metals, gold has been a highly sought-after commodity from the earliest of ancient civilisations right through to the modern day. Much of its worth has been built through socially-constructed symbolism rather than via any intrinsic financial value, but the rare metal has nevertheless proven useful in some fields thanks to certain unusual properties.

Gold is extremely durable, stable, and for a metal, unusually coloured making it a perfect exhibition of wealth. It holds a strong continuity of value over time, and looks just as beautiful when first laid in a treasure chest as it does 20, 30 or 50 years later. It’s an element that is difficult, dangerous and laborious to mine and rarity has always held a value when it comes to the importance of status within our society.

But what about in practical use?

We regularly see gold put to good use in the field of electronics, to plate connectors and prevent oxidisation. As a metal, it conducts electricity extremely efficiently (though interestingly, not as efficiently as silver). In dentistry, the metal is valued for its malleable attributes which can be used to easily construct fillings, crowns, and bridges. Its chemically stable nature, makes it a suitable, nonallergenic material which has thus far proven to cause no adverse effects on long-term health.

But what about the usefulness of gold within the beauty and skincare industry? Let’s take a look at some products today which seek to employ the midas touch…

1). Nahbi Pure Repair Gold Essence contains 24ct nano gold and gold leaf extract which claims to help stimulate circulation, cell renewal and the removal of toxins from the skin. Nahbi use colloidal gold (suspended in liquid) and nano-technologies to increase the likelihood of physical absorbtion. The particles are rated at 1.5nm, which is tiny indeed when you consider that the thickness of gold leaf is rated at a rather chunky 125nm! The full range includes masks, serum, toner, a moisturiser and a cream. priced from £25, beauchoix.co.uk

2). Jamela offer a range of gold-infused masks that combine “active gold” and plant collagen with other, more recognisable ingredients including hyaluronic acid. The masks have been designed to contour various body parts to deliver their collagen-boosting benefits including: eyes, lips, face, and even breasts! I particularly like the idea of wearing one of these masks overnight before throwing it in the bath with me the next morning, they dissolve in hot water to release any remaining goodness! priced from £24,50, jamelaskincare.co.uk

3). Chantecaille are well-known for their high-end formulations so it comes as no surprise to see an entire Gold Collection from the U.S. brand. Their Nano Gold Firming Treatment is not simply content with exploring the supposed anti-inflammatory effects of nano gold, but hedges its bets on another recent “technological breakthrough” in the form of Swiss Apple Stem Cells which claim to deliver the creme-de-la-creme of antioxidant benefits within skincare. For all this technology, you’ll have to pay a pretty penny. priced at £280, uk.spacenk.com

4). Focusing on exploring the links between the precious metal and its soothing, anti-inflammatory benefits. Omorivicza’s Gold Eye Lift uses gold ferment in an attempt to repair micro-damage and strengthen the delicate skin by renewing lost elasticity and as you would expect, the Hungarian brand remain true to their spa roots with the infusion of mineral compounds and their globally famous thermal waters rich in copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium. priced at £110, selfridges.com

5). For the “gold standard” (geddit?!) in gold-enriched skincare, look no further than Swiss brand La Prairie for their Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold which claims to diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles and help regulate discoloration. The gold, suspended in a colloidal gel promises to help prevent the breakdown of collagen and elastin whilst illuminating the skin with a stunning radiance. It will certainly lighten your wallet. priced at £408, urbanretreat.co.uk

6). For something a little more tangible, not to mention… affordable, Zoya’s Gilty Pleasures trio contains an 18k real gold flake top coat which will transform all your manicures into something a little bit special. priced at £29.60, nailcareclub.com

7). ByTerry’s Or De Rose Elixir Extreme is a rose-tinted primer which delivers instant radiance thanks to its blend of 24-carat pink gold micronized particles and light-reflecting prisms. More of a cosmetic radiance-giver than a skincare marvel, coming from the queen of highlighting herself… that ain’t no bad thing. The closest I’ll get to being a gold-dipped bond girl. priced at £108, uk.spacenk.com

So, the question remains… can the benefits of gold be applied to anti-ageing theories? Scientists and dermatologists are frankly divided on the issue and serious research is ongoing on the potential health benefits of using gold in the fight against cancer and the relief of rheumatoid arthritis.

To my mind, there appears to be a somewhat necessary leap of faith in order to believe that something so valued for its chemical inertia can also posess such life-changing, tangible benefits but there’s no doubt that this is one debate that will run and run. Especially while it continues to give cosmetic companies such a wonderfully marketable element of luxury and privilege.

What say you? Are you interested in unleashing the power of gold on your skin, hair and nails?

You can keep your Andrex puppies and their loo roll-pulling antics because Zoya Kendal has super-softness in the bag. This beautiful polish from the American brand is simply perfect. A gorgeous greyed-lavender creme that incites visions of mist-swirled candyfloss.

The formula is also divine, reaching full opacity in two fuss-free, streak-free coats. You may be able to tell that this is my favourite polish of the year so far…. making me want to retrospectively check out the rest of the Zoya Feel Collection from last winter (thank heavens for eBay).

If you’re finding Zoya Kendal a little too simplistic or cold for your tastes, these kind of muted pastels are my absolute favourite for enhancing with a little glitter. In this case, Butter London’s Tart with a Heart did the honours…

I pounced on the Zoya spring collection, probably my favourite of all the spring offerings this year – it’s subdued, with its muted softy pastels and delicate shimmer. I could have bought so many more but stopped myself at two, here is the first that made it into my basket, Lotus.

Of the two purples in the spring collection, this is the one that had the dustier edge. And I’m all about dusty edges… both when it comes to nail polish, and bookshelves. Lotus has a soft pink shimmer that catches the light but sadly failed to pick up very well in my swatch photo – you can see it in the bottle though yes? It’s not a glaringly obvious shimmer but gives the shade more depth and prevents it from sitting flat on the nailbed.

Formula was fine, the above photo shows three coats but you could get away with two… I applied my second coat with too much impatience and caused a bit of drag, hence the need for the third. My fault, not the polish’s.

The third polish in my mini Zoya haul was Neeka from the Fall 2011 Smoke and Mirrors collection.

A pretty purple/grape polish with gold sparkle, this wasn’t as dusty as I hoped. Not that there’s anything wrong with the base colour but I expected something a little greyer from Zoya’s description of the shade. Never mind, I’m not adverse to any kind of purple on my nails!

The formula of this was very similar to Yara and I achieved excellent coverage with two coats.

It’s been a long time since I fell so heavily in love with a nail polish shade. Zoya Caitlin isn’t even a sparkler. It doesn’t shift colour and it doesn’t glow in the dark or create funny patterns with the help of a magnet.

Zoya Caitlin is just a beautiful creme that has enough edge to make it different to all my other cremes. I’m smiling as I write this because I think that half of you are gonna be with me on this and the rest are gonna be like “uh what?”

I won’t build it up any more…

Zoya Caitlin is the duskiest blue I own. I don’t know how it manages to look so soft yet still be so bold. It looks like a breath of dusty serenity and I’m completely smitten. It was released as part of their Spring 2011 Intimates Collection as one half of a duo “french-twist” manicure. Everywhere I look, I see this described as a purple or a violet. I just don’t see it. On me, it’s an out and out cob-webby, deep cornflower.

Uniquely beautiful, I have nothing bad to say about this nail polish.

Zoya Caitlin is available in the UK online at Beauty4Nails-Body priced at £7.99 – I have no personal experience with this website, I bought my bottle from eBay U.S.

I went on a bit of a Zoya splurge a few weeks ago, admittedly… it was a small one. Those lovely people at customs and excise weren’t gonna get me. Not that I object to paying my duty, I just object to Royal Mail’s hostage handling fee.

Grumbles aside, I was pleased to receive my little Zoya beauties and I’m looking forward to showing them. It’s an expensive brand to buy in the UK and not one too readily available from sellers I trust on eBay either. Shipping was quite slow (about 3 weeks), I’ll keep looking for a supplier I like for these I think. In the meantime, meet Yara from Zoya’s Fall Smoke & Mirrors Collection.

Ain’t she purdy?

Yara is an olive green with distinct leanings toward army greens. The gold sparkles thankfully don’t get hidden too well in the depths of the murk and shine through beautifully!

I don’t wear too many greens but I’m delighted to include this one in my collection. Texture was great on this, I was done in two coats.

Zoya Yara is available to buy online in the UK from NailCareClub and is priced at £9.98 not inc. postage of £3.50. I paid £6.50 inc. postage from eBay U.S. Yeah. I’ll stick with eBay thanks.

Courtesy of a very sweet friend, this beautiful chocolate milk of a nail polish now holds pride of place in my collection. I’d been lemming Zoya Pasha for the best part of a year and with such long-term longings inevitably comes a touch of pedestal placement! I have to say, it didn’t disappoint.

3 coats for a smooth finish, Pasha is a silvery milk chocolate with a slight metallic sheen. It applied beautifully with no dragging at the cuticles, my only slight issue was with a couple of bubbles which I think had more to do with my impatience at wanting to see it applied, like NAO! as opposed to any formula problems.

I’m so happy to finally have this in my hands, thank you liloo – your generosity delighted me and I may have been bitten by the Zoya bug!

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